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Father blasted at point blank range: court

Mark Oberhardt

A father was killed when he was blasted at point blank range in the back with a shotgun during a housewarming party for his daughter, a court was told on Wednesday.

Prosecutor Dan Boyle was opening the crown case in a Supreme Court trial in Brisbane where Bevan Carl Forsythe, 37, pleaded not guilty to murdering Brent Kenneth Dumper at Upper Coomera on the Gold Coast, on May 30, 2010.

Forsythe also pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Michael Norman McMillan, 46, on the same date.

When the charges were read to the court, Mr Forsythe pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Dumper, 46, but Mr Boyle refused to accept the plea in discharge of the murder indictment.

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He told the jury eyewitnesses in the trial had been guests at a housewarming party given by Mr Dumper's daughter, Jessie Anderson, to celebrate moving into a new rental property.

Mr Forsythe lived next door and had been invited to the party, where guests ended up in various states of intoxication.

Mr Boyle detailed how during the night Mr Forsythe became progressively angrier and at one stage Mr Dumper had placed Mr Forsythe in a bear hug.

Mr Forsythe had then challenged Mr Dumper to a spar with boxing gloves but Mr Dumper had refused.

Shortly before 4.30am, Ms Anderson's partner spoke to Mr Forsythe about his behaviour and Mr Forsythe left and got a shotgun from his house, Mr Boyle said.

He then allegedly returned and shot Mr Dumper at point blank range in the back.

"When I say point blank range I mean it was in this case indeed at point blank range because the barrel was in contact with Mr Dumper's back at the time," Mr Boyle said.

He said Mr Forsythe then turned around and pointed the shotgun at Mr McMillan's stomach but his intended victim pushed the weapon aside as it discharged.

The crown alleged Mr Forsythe was trying to kill Mr McMillan.

Mr Forsythe left the party and rang Triple-0 telling the operator a neighbour had been shot and he had done it.

Barrister Callum Cassidy, for Mr Forsythe, said his client's plea of guilty to manslaughter showed he had admitted being legally responsible for what was a tragic death.

Mr Cassidy said the jury would hear evidence which could have been warped and tainted by trauma and shock.

The trial before Justice Peter Applegarth is expected to last seven days.